P ri n ce Mo h a m m a d B in Fa h d Un i ve rs i t y
College of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Internship Progress Report 3
at
[Saudi Aramco]
Reporting Period:
[14/7/2012 - 25/7/2012]
Submitted by:
[Rakan A. Al-Ghoufaili]
[200600725]
[submission date (27/7/2012)]
Mechanical Engineering Department
Summer 2012
Summary:
In the last two weeks from July 14 until July 25, I had many activities that I did
during this period. I have been introduced to the field survey and I had a site visit and
did inspections in the plants of Saudi Aramco. I participated to the schedule of
Quarterly Safety Inspections (QSI), and Work Permit at some departments I will
mention it later in this report. I attended a Safe Operations Committee (SOC)
Meetings in some departments. I participated to site inspection and conduct work
permit survey at Dhahran District Cooling Project. In this report I will provide a listed
of highlights for these last two weeks.
Background:
PLANT OPERATIONS
The safe processing and movement of oil from underground to ship or transmission
pipeline is the primary Saudi Aramco objective. Any construction operation which
could affect the safety of oil processing and movement must be planned and
performed in accordance with the operating procedures of the area in which the job is
located.
Every plant area in Saudi Aramco operations has a specific set of operating
instructions and the operating supervisor for that area has full responsibility for safety
precautions. With this responsibility, he also has authority to issue work permits and
stop any work if it is not in accordance with proper procedures.
It is therefore necessary for anyone expecting to work in an area where oil or gas is
handled to know the rules and regulations and obey them.
Failure to follow the operating rules can result in not only destruction of Saudi
Aramco property but also death of construction and operating personnel. This type of
disaster must be prevented.
Contractor Site Safety Program (CSSP)
Contractor shall properly plan and establish job-specific safe work procedures for all
contracted work. For long form capital project construction contracts where SA
Project Management is the proponent or as requested in writing by the SAPO, the
contractor shall develop, implement and adhere to a job-specific contractor site safety
program (CSSP) that conforms to the requirements of the contract, this document and
all other applicable SA safety requirements. If requested by the SAPO, the contractor
shall submit a supplementary detailed safety plan as may be needed before starting a
new major phase of work.
Hazard Identification Plan (HIP)
For all SA contracts (e.g., long form, mid form and short form contracts), the
contractor and/or their subcontractor(s) shall develop, implement and adhere to a
contract-specific HIP. The HIP shall list all tasks/activities associated with the
contracted work, potential hazards of each activity and control measures to mitigate
these hazards. The contractor’s HIP shall identify all potential hazards associated with
the work to be performed. The HIP shall not be a list of generic hazards.
Progress:
Qatif Diesel Bulk Plant Partial Mechanical Completion Walkthrough
Dhahran Area Loss Prevention Department (DHALPD) participated in the partial
mechanical completion certificate walkthrough for the Additional Capacity Phase II
Project, BI-10-00612-001. The scope of the inspection covered the new loading
pumps and their associated piping to the inlet of the new loading skid. We highlighted
22 “yes” exception items, including the new loading pump emergency shutdown
system not able to isolate the existing loading racks as required by SAES-B-058.
Infractions at Dhahran Bulk Plant Tank Farm Contractors Laydown Yard
DHALPD conducted a job site inspection of a contractor’s (ALASCO) lay down yard
facility located at Dhahran Bulk Plant Tank Farm area. We noted several infractions
including storing excess combustible materials next to a welding area, improper
storage of gas cylinders, and several other fire hazards. We also noted that the
contractor did not post the required material safety data sheets, the presence of
unlabeled chemical containers, poor housekeeping, and no project identification sign
at the main entrance of the site. Written recommendations regarding the above issues
were forwarded to Eastern Regions Distribution Department’s management.
Infractions at District Cooling Project Contractor Laydown Yard
DHALPD observed many safety infractions over the course of several site visits to the
District Cooling Project contractor laydown yard. We noted a less than adequate yard
layout, poor fire prevention equipment maintenance, a lack of adequate dust control
and no approved traffic flow plan. We also observed unsafe practices within the yard
such as congested storage areas, improper storage of flammable and combustible
materials. Our findings were entered into the site safety log book and were also
communicated to Utilities Department and the contractor during the weekly project
progress meeting. We recommended temporary closure of the laydown yard until the
outstanding items are rectified.
Work Permit Infractions at Dhahran District Cooling Project Sites
DHALPD conducted work permit reviews at Dhahran District Cooling project sites
within Dhahran community. We noted infractions such as work permit receiver or
delegate not at the work site, improper storage of flammable materials, lack of
excavation barricades, and workers standing at the edge of excavations that were not
barricaded. We notified Utilities Department and contractor representatives of these
infractions and advised that immediate corrective measures be taken. Furthermore, all
infractions were discussed during the contractor weekly safety meeting.
Safe Operations Committee Meetings
DHALPD attended the Safe Operations Committee (SOC) meetings held at EXPEC
Network Operations Department and Materials Planning & Services Department. We
presented and promoted the information related to the “Injury Prevention Workshop
for Non-Industrial Supervisors”. We also presented an “SOC Overview” topic and
encouraged the management of the two departments to align their SOCs with SMS
element #1.
Plan: